Toa Hordika
When the Toa Metru arrived on Metru Nuito retrieve the sleeping Matoran,they were ambushed by venomous spiders called Visorak. Soon enough, the venom began to take effect, mutating the Toa into horrific bestial forms and causing them to tear out of their cocoons. Just as they were falling to their certain doom, they were caught in midair by the Rahaga, small Rahkshi-like beings who opposed the hordes. ---- to see the first half of the story,go to:Toa Metru ---- The Rahaga informed the Toa that they were now Toa Hordika, half-beasts that would have to fight to keep their primal rage in check. The Toa also discovered that their powers were also much more limited than they were before. The Rahaga offered to aid the Toa, telling them of a Rahi in Metru Nui called Keetongu who could reverse their mutations... if he even existed. But the Toa agreed that the Matoran came first; they would deal with their mutations later. To that end, they formed a plan to build airships that would bring the Matoran to Mata Nui and began scouring the city for transport parts and other supplies they would need. However, they not only had to fight against the Visorak hunting them down, but each had their own problems with their new feral sides: where Onewa and Nuju had to struggle to keep their tempers down, Nokama and Whenua enjoyed their new connection to nature a little too much and had to resist the urges to live as beasts. Vakama took the mutations especially hard, as he saw them as the latest in a long string of failures. A few things of note happened during this time. Turaga Dume somehow awoke from his slumber, though the details of this are still unknown. The Rahaga told the Toa Hordika of the Avohkii, the Great Mask of Light that they had hidden in the city, and the Toa were able to find the Makoki stones to unlock its hiding place and claim it before the Visorak could. And the Toa ended up allying with Krahka and Tahtorak as Sidorak ordered a massive Zivon unleashed on the city; the three beasts fought until they were all banished back into the darkness that Zivon was summoned from. But most devastating was that Roodaka placed information where the Toa would find it; information that stated how Nuhrii, Vhisola, Ahkmou and the others were the ones meant to be Toa, but that Makuta had influenced Lhikan to change his mind so that the destined heroes would never gain power. Feeling like an imposter as well as a failure (and not being helped by the other Toas' complaining about their situation), Vakama briefly considered abandoning them and trying to rescue the Matoran himself, but realized how futile it would be. At that point, Roodaka abducted him and offered him nothing less than command of the Visorak. Vakama saw a chance to take a well-trained army and command them to release the Matoran; and Roodaka encouraged him with the idea that leadership meant blind obedience of the followers, as opposed to the stubborn opposition that the other Toa often gave. He accepted the position, but Roodaka knew Sidorak would not be so easily sold on the idea. She had Vakama kidnap the Rahaga (save Norik, who was left behind to "send a message") as proof of his intentions, and by sweetening the deal with acceptance of Sidorak's long-denied marriage proposals and promises of the other Toa Hordika becoming commanders, Roodaka got Sidorak to welcome Vakama into the army. Meanwhile, the Rahaga and Toa Hordika decided it was time to pick up the search for Keetongu, as it might be the only way to save Vakama. Once the Rahaga were captured, Norik took the information they had found and led the Toa to a mountain of ice hidden deep within Ko-Metru, where they found the mythical Rahi. After Keetongu heard their tale and how they wanted to help their friend, he agreed to join them - but he would not cure them of their mutations yet; they would need them in the upcoming battle. Together, the Toa Hordika, Norik, and Keetongu stormed the Coliseum. While Norik freed the other Rahaga and Keetongu went after Sidorak and Roodaka, the Toa fought off the Visorak in search of the Matoran - except for Matau, who went off on his own to face Vakama. At the top of the Coliseum's highest spire, Matau tried to talk down Vakama, reminding him of the Toas' friendship and their strength in unity - even as Vakama tried to kill him. But Matau's words got through; as he lost his grip and started to plummet to the Coliseum floor below, Vakama leapt down and caught him, using Visorak webbing as bungee cord to keep them from impacting. Meanwhile, the other Toa found the Matoran - only to be confronted by Roodaka, who had gotten rid of Sidorak and was now sole leader of the Visorak. Matau joined the face-off, and led the other four Toa in blasting Roodaka with their Rhotuka spinners. Vakama entered the fight next to Roodaka, but he turned on her and threatned to fire his own Rhotuka. Roodaka warned that she would order the Visorak to kill them if she died, but her rule was not as complete as she thought; Vakama was still the horde's commander and he gave the order to disband. As Roodaka was a traitor who brought their King to his death, the Visorak complied and Roodaka was left alone. Vakama made good on his threat to fire his Rhotuka, but Norik realized too late that she carried a piece of Makuta's prison: since it had now absorbed all six elemental powers, the prison's seal was broken and Makuta was free again. But Makuta left the Toa alone for the time being, and with the Toa Hordika cured and becoming Toa Metru again; they, the Rahaga, and Keetongu all worked together to finish the airships they were building and load them with the Matoran, preparing to bring them to their new home of Mata Nui. The Toa were cured and the Matoran saved, but there was still one thing to take care of: the Mask of Time was still out there somewhere, and could be extremely dangerous if in the wrong hands. Vakama went off on his own to retrieve it, asking the others to stay behind in case Makuta went after the Matoran. He found it on the ocean floor, but was quickly knocked out when a waterspout lauched him into the Great Barrier - though not before a strange being came and took the mask from him. Vakama woke up in a different world than what he remembered: Metru Nui had never fallen, but was still threatened by the Morbuzakh. Lhikan was still alive, but as a Turaga ruling alongside Dume. And Vakama was no longer a Toa; it was Nuhrii who had been empowered in his place. Vakama started to think that perhaps the Vahi had changed the past so that Lhikan had gone with his original choices for Toa Metru. But upon talking with Nuju and Nokama (who were also Matoran again), he found that this world wasn't necessarily better: the Toa Metru here were encouraging and enforcing stricter laws; plus Onewa had been traumatized by Toa Ahkmou and the Vahki, and Matau had been killed in a Morbuzakh attack. But every now and then, Vakama would briefly see the empty, ruined city that he remembered. Working with Nokama, Vakama searched for information on the Mask of Time. He first found a carving of the being who took the mask from him, identifying it as a Dark Hunter servant called Voporak. Then upon entering Makuta's lair in Po-Metru, a strange hybrid creature attached itself to Vakama's mask and gave him a vision of a future Toa named Krakua, who warned him that in order to save the future, he must be willing to destroy it. Coming out of his vision - Turaga Lhikan had arrived and pried the hybrid off - Vakama acted on his suspicions and flung a Kanoka right at Nokama's head. When it passed through, it proved to Vakama that what he was seeing wasn't real and made the illusion disappear completely. Vakama was a Toa as he had always been, "Nokama" was actually a Visorak playing along, and "Lhikan" was none other than Makuta himself. Having failed to trick Vakama into handing over the Vahi, Makuta resorted to threats, but was infuriated to find that Voporak had taken the mask. He decided to propose a truce: that he and Vakama would work together to get the mask from the Dark Hunters, and then fight between themselves over it; Vakama reluctantly agreed. The two split up at the Great Temple; while Vakama faced the Hunter named Sentrakh, Makuta was challenged by Keetongu. Vakama caused an explosion in desperation that not only knocked Sentrakh out, but blew Makuta away from the Temple, sparing Keetongu's life. Unfortunately, he was immediately faced with not only Voporak but also Sentrakh's boss, the Shadowed One, who now held the Vahi and wanted to punish the Toa responsible for killing Nidhiki and Krekka. To make matters worse, Makuta returned and started bargaining with the Shadowed One over the mask. Vakama decided to play the two against each other, explaining that Makuta was the one who killed the two Hunters. The Shadowed One and Voporak immediately started fighting Makuta, and the winning side would claim the Mask of Time - if Vakama hadn't grabbed it out of the Shadowed One's hands. On the way out of the city, Vakama's jetpack was damaged; and he was saved from certain death by the resprouted Karzahni plant. Though Karzahni had been helping Makuta, playing the part of the Morbuzakh in the illusion, it switched sides and helped Vakama by telling him the truth: Lhikan's original choices for Toa Metru were wrong. Makuta would never allow new Toa to arise that could threaten him, so Mata Nui and an order dedicated to him made false prophesies and evidence to deceive Makuta into thinking Lhikan's choices were correct; and Makuta responded by influencing Lhikan to choose six others. But Mata Nui himself had influenced Makuta's choices; ensuring that the true destined Toa Metru would indeed gain their power. The conversation was cut short, however, by Makuta arriving and killing Karzahni again. Vakama escaped and, taking Krakua's and Karzahni's words to heart, prepared to stand his ground and face Makuta. When Makuta caught up with him, Vakama threatened to destroy the Mask of Time, warning that he had observed its power leaking out when it was slightly damaged earlier - meaning its complete destruction could have far graver consequences. Once Makuta was convinced that Vakama really would risk the mask's destruction, he reluctantly accepted Vakama's demands: safe passage out of the city for himself, safety for his allies in Metru Nui, and peace for the Matoran - though Makuta only agreed to one year of peace before he would return. With that, Vakama returned to the other Toa Metru and the Matoran on Mata Nui, telling them only that he got the Vahi and found they were the true destined Toa Metru; he said nothing of the rest as he feared the others would want to provoke a war with Makuta. On the shores of Mata Nui, the Toa Metru gave up their power to awaken the Matoran, becoming the Turaga who would lead them in starting their new lives... Members *Vakama *Nokama *Matau *Nuju *Onewa *Whenua Other Hordika *"Savage"